Teddy Remus Lupin was feeling upset. His first month at Hogwarts had been going so well…until now. The overload of homework, Slytherin bullies, and being away from home made him feel depressed.
Teddy walked across the Hogwarts grounds towards the Forbidden Forest without knowing where his feet were taking him. He wandered into the woods without realizing it and walked on, not really aware of anything.
He was deep in the forest now. He stopped dead, now realizing that he would be in loads of trouble if he were found here. Students weren’t allowed in the forest. As well as being against the rules, there were plenty of beasts and creatures in the woods that he had heard about, and it would be awfully unfortunate if he happened to come across any.
Teddy sat on a rock and put his head in his hands. This part of the forest had a certain gloom to it, as if something important had happened there before. He reached for a rock on the ground and began turning it in his fingers, thinking. If anything, he wished he could see his parents. They had died when he was just a baby, so he never got to know them. He wondered what they would think of him now.
After all, not all stories have a happy ending, Teddy thought as he fumbled with the rock in his fingers. For one, Harry Potter’s first triumph over You-Know-Who had resulted in tragedy. But the second war resulted in tragedy for me…my parents died, and I was only a year old.
Something wasn’t right here. The ominous forest gave off that strange atmosphere, and…the stone Teddy picked up was round, smooth, and black, as he now noticed. It also had a strange symbol on it, like a triangular eye. Though he wanted to believe it had been dropped there by accident, this stone and the gloomy environment seemed to go together somehow.
Teddy began thinking about his parents again, and suddenly, three figures were surrounding him. But they weren’t totally human”if anything, they were like a mix between ghosts and solid figures.
Teddy was too stunned to speak. What did he do? Why were these people here? He observed them”one was a big-bellied man with fair hair. One was a middle-aged man with scars and prematurely gray-streaked hair. The last one was a slightly younger woman with short, spiky bubble-gum-pink hair.
A second later, Teddy knew who they were.
“Mum?” he whispered. “Dad? Grandpa?”
The three nodded, smiling.
“But…but that’s impossible…” Teddy stammered.
“Honey, you picked up the Resurrection Stone,” the woman said. “We’re not really alive, but you brought us back…in a way.”
“The Resurrection Stone?” Teddy asked. “But how…”
“Never mind how, son,” the younger of the two men said. “It’s great to see you after so many years. How is everything going?”
Teddy was shocked but admitted, “Hogwarts hasn’t been going so well.”
“Oh…” the woman said. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Teddy.”
Teddy shrugged. “I just wish…that you were still alive. It’s just not fair!”
“We know,” the woman said soothingly. “But Teddy…you’ll be with us…one day…”
“Still,” Teddy said. “There’s nothing left but stories. Grandma tells me everything”how you met, how you died so early after getting married and having me, how you were an odd pair: a Metamorphmagus and a werewolf, so far apart in age…”
The woman exchanged a smile with her husband; he returned it. Teddy felt a huge pang of sadness. It didn’t seem fair that this couple had to die so soon after their marriage. If they had lived, he would be with them now. He could write to them and tell them about Hogwarts. He could listen to them tell stories about their days in the Order of the Phoenix.
He thought about the life he had lost”the life they all had lost. Maybe Teddy would have grown up with brothers or sisters. His parents would have been there for all the important moments of his life. They would have seen him go off to Hogwarts, graduate, get married, and become an Auror (which was what he wanted to grow up to be). His eyes began to fill with tears at the life that had cruelly been snatched from him because of the war.
“Teddy, please don’t cry,” his mother pleaded.
“You guys won’t ever get to see me do anything,” he said quietly, refusing to look at them.
“Of course we will, Teddy,” said his father.
Teddy looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean? You’re…you’re…”
“Dead, yes,” his father finished for him. “But Teddy, that doesn’t mean we’re not with you. We’re with you now tonight, and we watch over you all the time. We saw you board the Hogwarts Express. We saw you get sorted into Gryffindor. We have seen you”you just didn’t know it.”
“You…did?” Teddy asked.
“Yes,” said his grandfather. “All three of us. We’re proud of you, Teddy. We know things aren’t easy, but you have to hang in there.”
“Whatever happens, we want you to understand this, Teddy: We fought and died so that you could live in the peaceful world that exists now,” Teddy’s father told him.
Teddy stared at them. When he spoke, it was to say, “Oh. I knew that; Grandma told me. But I never really understood what it meant. I never stopped to think about it, really. I was just so upset that you died.”
“We understand,” said his mother.
“Well…I’m glad I got to meet you,” Teddy told them. “I’m not sure what happened with that stone, but it’s definitely taught me something. Thank you for visiting me. And, um…thanks for explaining everything. It means a lot.”
“It means a lot to us too,” said his mother. “We’re proud of you, Teddy. Hang in there. Hogwarts will get better once you make some friends. And remember that while it may not seem like we’re here, we’re always watching over you.”
“I know that now.”
“I’m afraid we have to leave now, Teddy,” said his grandfather.
“Okay,” Teddy said, though he didn’t want to leave the company of his relatives, especially after just meeting them. “But…is it okay if I visit you sometimes? I can come back to the forest and use the stone again.”
“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea,” his father told him gently. “This stone has caused many problems in the past, and you’re not allowed into the forest. I’m afraid this is goodbye for now. But remember what we said. We love you, Teddy, and we’re always with you.”
“Thanks,” Teddy said, and to his surprise he didn’t feel upset. Instead he felt strong and ready to return to the world with a new perspective.
"Goodbye," the three of them said together.
“Goodbye,” Teddy replied.
Then they vanished into the air, and Teddy was left alone. He thought of his father’s words: this stone has caused many problems in the past. If it really had caused troubles, it would probably be better for him to leave it behind so that nobody could find it. He dug a small hole in the ground and buried the smooth black pebble in the earth. Then, with a new air of confidence, he stood up and began to walk back to the castle.
After all, not all stories had a happy ending, but Teddy knew his story did. Even if his parents were dead, they had given up their lives so he could live in a better world than they had. He was extremely grateful for it.
Not All Stories Have a Happy Ending by Lyra Lestrange
Chapter Notes: JK Rowling came up with the wonderful world of Harry Potter, not me.
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